Five Times Rachel Wished She Was Annabeth Chase
by The Night Huntress
Summary: ...and one time she didn't have to. Because there's nothing better than being yourself. Oneshot. Percabeth at the end!


**I just love Rachel, almost as much as Annabeth, so I wrote a oneshot about her. Takes place between BotL and TLO.**

**I own nothing, if I did Percabeth would not be in Tartarus.**

**1. BECAUSE SHE'S A LEADER**

_"Which way, Sacagewea?" _The sentence stayed in my mind.

A week ago I helped Percy Jackson (the guy who could've killed me) through this quest that needed to fulfill. I learned that quests are scary. Friends with deadly weapons? Check. Scary monsters? Check. Creepy labyrinth? Check.

I was an adventure of a lifetime. Greek gods, Greek monsters, Greek mythology. All of it was _real_. _And I could see it. _

What bothered me most wasn't that I could've been killed. It was that girl, Percy's friend. Annabeth, Annabelle or whatever.

It wasn't that she wasn't nice. She was. It was just that she didn't like me. I knew why.

You see, I met Percy awhile back when I thought he was trying to kill me. A few days ago, I saved him from some vampire monster thingos. In the span of those few days... I found out that I kinda sorta maybe liked him. He was fun to hang out with, not to mention is good-looking. Anyway, that was _before _the quest. Now, a week later, I know for sure. I had a crush on Percy Jackson.

So did Annabeth. It was actually pretty obvious because of the was she'd look at him.

I sat up from my bed and looked around. Was I Percy's type? Was Annabeth? We actually were almost the same. We both are fierce, determined. We both spoke out sometimes.

The problem was that people listened to her. Percy did whatever Annabeth told him. Heck, everybody did what Annabeth told them. She's a leader at heart.

I knew that Percy liked being told what to do. Not because he was a goody-goody or something like that. Not because he was afraid of Annabeth or anything. It was because her trusted her. He trusted her to have his back whenever he needed her. He trusted her to keep him from danger. He trusted her to guide him through tough times. He trusted her to lead him down the right path. He trusted her to always have a plan. He plain trusted to.

I wish he would trust me that way. Of course, it sounds plain silly, I've only known Percy for a couple weeks. Why is Aphrodite doing this to me? What have I done?

Maybe it's because I'm afraid to speak out. Not like those "SAVE THE PIGEONS" stuff. I've always been afraid to lead, I've always been afraid that people what think I'm bossy or whatever. I knew that I would be terrible at that.

Annabeth clearly wasn't she was a natural. She'd known these stuff since she was, I don't know, nine? Whatever. I kinda wish I was as strong as her. As brave. Maybe Percy would like me more if I did. Now, I feel terrible. When I was about twelve I vowed to never change for a guy.

But this guy made me feel... different. Different enough to want to be someone else.

* * *

**(THREE MONTHS LATER) 2. BECAUSE SHE'S PRETTY**

"And finished!" Drew said. The girls giggled. "You look gorgeous, Rach!"

I turned my head to the mirror. I _did_ look beautiful. The Aphrodite girls did a real good job at converting me from a Plain Jane to a Marilyn Monroe. Red lipstick, eighties style hair, over-the-top blue eyeshadow.

"Percy will definitely notice you in this!" One of the girls, Emma or Emily, whatever, nodded slyly. "He's the Romeo to your Juliet!"I blushed.

Another one of the girls stepped forward, Lacy. "But what happens if he's your Romeo, but you're not his Juliet?" Nobody listened to her.

It was actually my first day in Camp Half Blood. Even though I was a mortal, Chiron did let me visit (perks of being a friend of Percy Jackson!) Anyway, as soon as I walked through the borders, those annoying Aphrodite girls swarmed me.

"I love the hair!"

"Ughh, who let a mortal inside camp!"

"Red is so last season!"

"Hi, I'm-"

"Girls!" Their leader, a pretty Asian girl with clown make up quieted them down. Thank the gods. She stepped forward and fake-smiled at me. "I'm Drew. Second-in-command of the Aphrodite cabin. And you are?"

I faked a smile. Percy warned me about Drew- a mean flirt who thought that she ruled the Beauty Universe. "Rachel Elizabeth Dare. I'm Percy's friend-"

"Percy's friend!" One of the girls squealed. "PERCY JACKSON? THE HOT ONE? I'm Emma by the way. You like him, don't you?"

I didn't answer.

The girls shrieked. "Oh my gods, no way!" Emma cried.

Drew gave a sly smile. "Girls, I think it's time for a makeover!" I paled.

"What, wait no!" Too late.

I struggled, but there were to many of them. Imagine ten Dionysus fangirls fanning over him. That bad. Before I could blink, the girls pratically kidnapped me to their cabin and started running around like maniacs.

I did like Percy Jackson. He was funny, sweet, and incredibly handsome. I really liked him, and if he could really notice me, he'd like me too. In fact, the only barrier that stood in my way was one girl. _Annabeth Chase_. A blonde nightmare.

I didn't hate Annabeth, it was just that she was Percy's other girl best friend, who seems to like Percy just as much as I did.

My thoughts were interrupted by the girls' screaming. Drew stepped forward. "Okay, everybody ready! Aubree, _go_ get the lipstick case! Mariah and Ellie, _where's_ the make-up kit! Lacy, _get_ the curling iron NOW! Emma, open the wardrobe! Lydia and Naomi, get the shoes ready! Kennedy and Melanie, watch out for _Silena_! We don't need her to ruin everything!"

Flash forward to now: ten maniac girls pushing me out of the Aphrodite cabin and into the sword fighting arena-where Percy was. By the time we got there Percy was sparring with some Hephaestus guy. He fought like a demon, swerving and kicking like there was no tomorrow. He turned around and gave me that cute goofy smile of his that made me melt. Why couldn't he see we were perfect?

Percy's face changed from happy to shocked. "Whoa, Rachel..."

"Hey Percy," I smiled.

"You look..." He didn't finish the sentence, because right there and then, arrived my blonde nightmare: Annabeth Chase. Great. I was having a good day.

She looked at all of us, _What do you think you're doing with my seaweed brain_? "Hey Seaweed Brain." Percy shifted his eyes to her. His eyes widened. I groaned inside. The exact same day I get a makeover, Annabeth gets one too. Perfect.

"Wise girl... are you wearing lipstick?"

_"It's not lipstick!" _Annabeth frowned. "It's lip gloss, and it's suppose to be our high school dance today!"

Percy did one of his adorable grins. "Then why are you here?"

"Cyclops. It's a good thing I brought Thalia with me. I managed to convince the principal that they were just some punks who didn't know that the punch was for free."

Percy laughed. Annabeth looked at me. "Nice outfit Rachel." She faked a smile and turned to Percy. "See you later Seaweed Brain. I HAVE to get out of the dress."

I sighed, then straightened. "What were you saying?"

"Huh? Oh. Yeah. You look nice. Um, I think I'll go catch up with Annabeth. See you later Rachel."

I sighed again. So much for trying to make Percy notice me. He did for a few seconds, until Annabeth came along. I could see why. Annabeth _was _pretty. Natural princess curls. Dashing eyes. Tall. Fair skin. The perfect package. I envy her for that. It must be amazing to be the beautiful Annabeth Chase.

I knew that I was pretty too. Sure, I might not be America's next top model, but I'm just in the same level as Annabeth. I was just- a different kind of pretty. I hope Percy would see my pretty. Until then, I'll just wish I had Annabeth's kind.

_What happens if he's your Romeo, but you're not his Juliet?_

* * *

**(ONE WEEK LATER) 3. BECAUSE SHE'S SMART**

"Impressive, Wise girl," Percy smiled, holding the Greek Mythology book up in the air. "Okay... Greek god of terror?"

Annabeth stopped pacing. "Deimos is the Greek god of terror and the son of Ares and Aphrodite. In ancient myths he accompanied Ares in his war chariot together with his brother Phobos. He-"

"Okay, Wise girl, that's enough!" Percy laughed.

We were sitting down at some old dirty park bench in Central Park. I wasn't supposed to be here, actually. This was supposed to be Percy and Annabeth's day studying those weird Greek mythology stuff. I just happened to run into them while jogging my dog, Bailey, and ignoring Annabeth's protests, Percy invited me to stay with them.

As you probably guessed, I wasn't here for studying. I was here to win over Percy. I studied some Greek mythology during the weekend, and I think I might have a chance to beat Annabeth. I spent hours in my bedroom, learning about myths like Medusa, Enyo, dryads. I studied the monsters Percy fought. I studied the gods Percy has met. I ignored my dad's calls for dinner even though it was spaghetti because I just fricking love spaghetti. I was that determined. I turned down spaghetti for Percy. I knew Percy would be impressed if I knew a lot. If I knew more than Annabeth... he'll love me for sure!

"Okay... Rachel..." He turned to me. I shot a look at Annabeth before smiling sweetly at Percy. My time to shine. "What is a nymphaeum?"

I straightened. Annabeth looked grim. I knew that she wanted to answer that. "Nymphaeums are monuments dedicated to nymphs." Percy raised his eyebrows. "Wow...correct. Good job Rachel."

I gave a satisfied look to Annabeth. She frowned. "Who is Medea?" Percy asked, not paying attention to our staredown.

"Medea was the Princess of Colchis, the land that held the Golden Fleece during the time of the Jason."

"Who is the Titan of forethought?"

"Prometheus is the Titan of crafty counsel and forethought. He is known for giving humans the gift of fire. He is the son of Iapetus and Clymene and the brother of Pandora."

"Hmm." Percy looked impressed. Annabeth snorted. "Who exactly is Hercules?"

"Hercules is regarded as one of the greatest of Ancient Greek heroes of all time. He was born as the Greek demigod son of Zeus and the mortal Alcemene. His Greek counterpart is Heracles. He is also Percy Jackson's favorite hero."

Percy smiled. I knew I had won. With that Annabeth stood up. She was NOT happy. "Percy, ask me. NOW."

"Okay, okay," Percy laughed and put up his hands. "No need to push your buttons, Wise girl. What are satyrs?"

"Satyrs are creatures with the upper body of a man and the lower body of a goat complete-"

"-With hairy goat legs and hooves, as well as goat horns, and pointed ears of a goat." I finished. Annabeth looked at me like I was a monster. Percy hid his face behind the book. He clearly had no idea what was going on. "Okay... Rachel, what is the minotaur?"

"The Minotaur was a monster with the head of a bull on the body-"

"Of a man. It is one of the most famous monsters in Greek Mythology." Annabeth shot at me. I put my hands on my hips and smirked. Percy whimpered. "Umm, okay. I guess who answers the question first... wins. Umm, what are empousai?"

"Empousai are monsters in Greek mythology under the control of the goddess Hecate-" I started. I knew this. I saved Percy from them.

"They are known to feed on the blood of men and were sometimes thought to be vampires." Annabeth smirked and finished.

"Who are the Hesperides?"

"The Hesperides-" I started.

"Are the Greek nymphs of the sunset and partialy the ocean-" Annabeth said.

"Who tend a blissful garden in a far western corner of the world-"

"Located near Mount Tamalpais."

"They are the daughters of Atlas and Hesperius." I finished. Percy nodded. "Great," he said. "Who is Demeter?"

I froze. I couldn't believe it. I forgot who Demeter was. Unbelievable. I knew the Hesperides, I knew empousai, but I didn't know who Demeter was. _Perfect_.

"Demeter is the Olympian Greek goddess of the harvest and agriculture, who presided over grains, the fertility of the earth, the seasons, and the harvest," Annabeth smiled while I frowned.

"Yup." Percy flashed his famous smile. "What are Scythian Dracanae_?" _Scythian Dracanae? There was nothing about that in the book...

"Scythian Dracanae are commonly seen as female reptilian monsters with some human features." Annabeth raised her head high. I snorted.

"Last question... What is Mount Orthys?"

"Mount Othrys was the base of the Titans during the First Olympian WarIn the First War it was assaulted by the Olympians, and where Zeus used Kronos' scythe to cut him into a thousand pieces, and cast him into Tartarus." Annabeth gave a victory face. Fine. You win this round.

Percy put the book in his backpack and slumped it over his shoulder. "We better be heading back to camp, Annabeth. It's getting late." I groaned inside.

I nodded and watched them walk away. I saw Annabeth give him a playful punch. Months of studying and Annabeth still beat me. Why did she have to be a daughter of Athena? Why couldn't I be a daughter of Athena like her? Why?

The question stood in the back of my mind for the rest of the day.

* * *

**(TWO MONTHS LATER) 4. BECAUSE SHE'S KNOWN PERCY LONGER**

I was pretty excited. This would be the first time I would meet Percy's other friends, besides Annabeth at least. We would meet up at McDonald's, apparently to them it was their own little Mount Olympus. Hmm.

I walked in to the smell of fried chicken and the sound LOTS of people. I scanned the room. "Rachel!" I heard a voice.

It was Percy. He was sitting in the middle of a round table at the very corner of the restaurant. To his right sat Annabeth, who was giving me a look. To his left was his best friend-Grover, I think. Was he the cyclops or the satyr? Satyr. I'm pretty sure he was the satyr. To Annabeth's right was some punk girl. She wore a DEATH TO BARBIE shirt and had short spiky hair. I did not want to mess with her. To the punk girl's side was a small pale boy (who looked kind of emo). He was staring at some action figure of some Greek god. To Grover's side were two boys, twins, I think. They had mischief in their eyes, like they were ready to blow up the entire place. Beside them was a big tough girl who obviously didn't care about her looks. Messy hair, oversized shirt. Yup.

Percy smiled at me and motioned me to sit next to the emo boy. "Guys this is my friend Rachel. Rachel, this is Thalia," he pointed to the punk girl. "Daughter of Zeus and Lieutenant of Artemis." He pointed to the emo boy next to me. "Nico, son of Hades." Next he introduced me to the twins, Travis and Conner. Sons of Hermes, no wonder. Lastly, was Clarisse, a daughter of Ares. Someone you clearly didn't want to mess with.

"I just love McDonald's, guys," Nico spoke for the first time.

"Did you guys order happy meal?" Conner asked. "Because I ordered all of you happy meals." Everyone groaned. "I got you all superhero action figures. You're welcome." In conclusion, Percy got the Flash, Annabeth got Batman, Grover got Robin, Thalia got Wonder Woman (after trading with Nico), Nico got Martian Manhunter, Travis managed to get Aquaman (in Percy's dismay), Conner got Batgirl, Clarisse got Superman (no wonder), and I got Green Arrow.

"Why can't I have Aquaman? I'm the son of Poseidon!" Percy asked Travis. "I'll pay you! Ten bucks! Twenty! No, five!" Travis shook his head and pretended to be playing with his miniature Aquaman.

"Haha, this reminds me of the time Percy fell of the Gateway Arch, remember?" Annabeth laughed.

"Percy fell off the what?!" I couldn't believe it. "He what? The what?"

"That's not the least of what he's done." Grover sipped his Diet Coke. "He battled Ares when he was twelve. And he won. Can I have some tin cans? And coffee?"

My mouth was wide open. I thought I knew Percy through and through. But this...

"He held up the sky," Nico volunteered.

"He held up the what?"

"He battled a hydra, didn't he?" Conner asked Percy. "Yes Conner, I did."

"He battled Atlas," Thalia said. She tried to take Nico's fries. Unsuccessful.

"He killed the Minotaur,"Travis said. "And a fury."

"He made an embarrassment of me in the bathroom." Clarisse said. Everyone laughed.

"Wow, you guys have really been through a lot with him." I blushed. They gone through all these amazing adventures with him; what have I done with him besides the labyrinth?

"Yeah, we sure have." Grover smiled. "But not as much as Annabeth. They've done everything together." Annabeth smiled.

"That is one hundred percent true," Percy said. "She knows everything about me."

She gave me a look that said, _I win. _"Everything?" I asked.

"Everything. We've gone through quests since we were twelve. She can practically write a biography of me." Annabeth's smile widened.

"Yeah, _the Supreme Lord of the Bathroom and his Sidekick the Girl Who Just Can't Put the Book Down: A Memorial_," Travis snatched Conner's chicken.

They went on to talking about Percy's quest in the Sea of Monsters. Since Annabeth was there with him through and through, she did most of the talking.

I really wish I knew Percy better. Or at least, better than Annabeth. I wish I met Percy when we were twelve, like Annabeth did. I wish I could go on more adventures with him, like she did. I wish I was closer to him than she was. Then, maybe I would be the one sitting on Percy's right, stealing his fries without him looking and telling stories on how he saved me over and over. I wish I was her.

* * *

**(TWO WEEKS LATER) 5. BECAUSE SHE'S A DEMIGOD**

Finally. Me and Percy alone. Annabeth was at Camp Half Blood, miles away, while me and Percy were off at the beach grilling BBQs with his mom and stepdad. I was excited. I was excited because he and I were alone. I was excited to finally meet his parents. I was excited because he was a son of Poseidon and we're on the beach. Most of all, I was excited because this might be the day. The day I kiss him.

You see, it's been mostly me and Percy for the last couple of weeks. Annabeth was busy doing who knows what, Thalia was back with the Hunters, Grover was hanging out with his girlfriend, Nico had suspiciously gone west to California, and all of Percy's other friends were, well, not here. Me and Percy. Percy and I.

He's actually been acting awkward around me lately. Fidgeting when I'm around, mumbling. That gave me a spark of hope. _He may like me back_. All I needed to do was to kiss him, and if he really felt the same way, he'd kiss me back. The perfect plan.

"Rachel, let's surf. C'mon!" Percy ran to the water. He was almost sixteen, but he still wanted to wear a shirt when he swam. I don't blame him.

I ran after him, kicking me legs to where he was. He laughed and sprayed water all over me. I tried to do the same thing, but it went back to me. _Stupid water powers._

"Follow me!" Percy shouted. He went with a splash and swam towards the deeper end. I followed him.

"Just wait," he told me. He took my hand. _Oh my gods_."We're going on a little trip." I felt a surge of water overwhelm me, and before I could blink I was completely immersed in water. _I was breathing. Underwater. _I opened my eyes, and what I saw fascinated me.

Percy brought me to a coral reef. One with amazing fish of all colors. I looked around, and I could see water ladies smiling at us. Naiads? I wasn't sure.

"Whoa. This is amazing, Percy." The scene was breathtaking. And he only brought me to this place.

"Isn't it?" Percy said. He swam a few feet away from me. "I took Grover and Annabeth here last year, it's pretty cool, isn't it?

So he took Annabeth here. What gives. "That's nice," I said. I swam toward him. "But I don't want to talk about Annabeth right now, I want to talk about you. About us."

"About us?" Percy took a step back. "What about us? We're friends, aren't we?"

I swam toward him again. "Just friends, Percy? Just friends?"

Percy looked confused for a few seconds. "Look, Rachel, I don't want you to get the wrong idea..."

Before he could say anything again, an Iris Message from Camp Half Blood suddenly appeared. Annabeth appeared in view. "Percy!"

I groaned inside. It had to be Annabeth. Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes.

She looked at me. "Hey, Rachel." I waved at her awkwardly.

"Hi Annabeth!" Percy smiled. "I took Rachel to the reef!"

"That's great, Seaweed Brain." She rolled her eyes. "Listen, camp is only a few miles from where you're at. There's some monster, I don't know what kind, currently at the border of camp. We need you! Clarisse is holding it off as long as she can!" I heard a small explosion. "Please!"

"I'm on it," Percy's expression was grim. "I'll be there in a few minutes, Wise girl." The IM dissolved. He turned to me.

"Percy-" I started.

"We need to get back. I need to help Annabeth."

"Can I come?" I asked. Percy stopped swimming.

"Look, Rachel, I would love for you to come, but this is a demigod's job. Annabeth and I can handle it."

I felt the water pushing me back to shore. It wasn't fair! The reason they had so many quests together was because they were both half bloods. They could go on unbelievably magical adventures together. And what can me and Percy do? Swim to a coral reef? Is that it? Why couldn't I be a demigod? More importantly, why couldn't I be a demigod like Annabeth? Percy seemed to like her more because of it.

Why?

* * *

**6. BECAUSE SHE'S THE ORACLE**

I watched the _Argo 2_ slowly fade into the clouds. My friend Percy Jackson disappeared about eight months ago, apparently kidnapped by a not-so-friendly counterpart of Hera. Now Annabeth, Coach Hedge, and the new demigods, Jason, Leo, and Piper, are out to get him back. Apparently Hera- no, Juno brought him to this Roman camp somewhere in California, and he's been living with _Romans_.

So I didn't get the great Percy Jackson. Turns out, our fates aren't meant to be, I was destined to become the Oracle, and he was destined to be with Annabeth.

You know what, I'm actually pretty okay with that. Being the Oracle is great. I got to be everything I ever wanted.

I became a leader. Well, kind of. After I became the Oracle, I sorta became... braver. Stronger. Less afraid. And people listen to me. Even Annabeth. They trust me. They trust me to help them when they needed help. They trust me to to keep themselves from harm. They trust me to guide them. They trust me to see a glimpse of the future. They trust me, and I trust them.

I learned to love myself. I didn't need those Aphrodite girls to be pretty. I _was _a whole package of my own.

Did I also became smarter? Yeah. Being the Oracle has a lot of perks. Annabeth got to teach me the stuff I didn't study about in mythology. Demeter is the goddess of fertility, by the way.

I now know as much about Percy as everyone else. Instead of them telling me about their adventures, it's US telling Jason, Piper, and Leo about OUR adventures. The stuff that we did. TOGETHER. I finally belong.

Most importantly, I became a demigod without actually having to become a demigod. I go with them in their fights. I do sword fighting, archery, and all off the other stuff demigods do. It's really amazing.

I did have a crush on Percy Jackson, and I honestly don't regret it. It made me see things in a whole new level. It made me see the world into a whole new level. Percy introduced me to a whole new world, he brought me to where I belong. He showed me the way home, and I am forever grateful.

THE END

* * *

**That's it! This is my first story, so tell be what you think and review! And also, please be nice!:D**

**The Night Huntress**


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